Markus Scholz in Table.Media Interview: ESG Responsibility Beyond the Win‑Win Logic

In an insightful interview with Table.Media, Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz, Professor of Business Administration, esp. Responsible Management at the Technical University of Dresden, sheds light on the current attitude of German companies towards socio-political ESG aspects.

On the basis of current studies (which you can find here), he notes that although 93% of companies are committed to social responsibility, this commitment often remains at the level of euphonious statements. He describes the low level of engagement with topics such as social justice, climate protection and human rights as an “explosive finding”. 

Prof. Scholz sees the currently dominant logic of the “win-win wonderland”, the idea that social and ecological sustainability must always be compatible with economic success, as a central weakness of current ESG strategies.

He warns against underestimating populist trends and emphasizes that companies run the risk of neglecting social responsibility by adopting a purely market-oriented approach, which entails the risk that business as we know it today will no longer be possible.

In the interview, Prof. Scholz advocates anchoring awareness of ESG responsibility more firmly in the corporate culture - even if this entails conflicting goals. Companies need to engage more with fundamental questions of democracy and social responsibility.

You can find the latest studies on our website under Publications or here

You can find the full interview here.